Hopewell couple keeps daughter's spirit alive through foundation for children

Jean and John Gianacaci with a photo of their daughter Christine, who on January 12, 2010, at age 22 was killed in an earthquake in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. John and his wife Jean founded Christine's Hope for Kids foundation in Christine's memory. Photo taken at the foundation in Ewing on Monday, January 7, 2013. The photo of Christine was taken in an orphanage on the day the earthquake hit. It was found on Christine's digital camera. All the children in the photo survived the earthquake. Martin Griff / The Times of Trenton

For John Gianacaci, every day is a difficult day and every night is a difficult night.

Today marks the third anniversary of his daughter’s death.

Christine Gianacaci — along with three of her classmates and two teachers from her university — was killed when an earthquake hit Haiti.

But despite the heartache spawned by the devastating quake, one bit of triumph has emerged. John Gianacaci and his wife, Jean, of Hopewell Township have started a foundation in their daughter’s name that continues Christine’s passion for helping people, especially children.

Christine’s Hope for Kids Foundation, which is also celebrating its three-year anniversary, continues to grow and has already helped thousands of children in Mercer County and around the country.

Christine was just a “normal girl,” but had learning difficulties growing up as a child, her mother said. Which is why Lynn University in Florida was a perfect fit, she said.

The university, which provides extra tutoring for students, allowed Christine to blossom, her mother said.

Christine quickly became involved with Students for the Poor, an organization that sends students, faculty and administrators around the world to assist people living in poverty.
All it took was one trip to Jamaica and Christine was hooked, her mother said.

“She was pumped,” she said. “She said it was a life-changing experience ... it changed her perspective on a lot of things.”

So a year after her trip to Jamaica, Christine boarded a plan and headed to Haiti.

“How can you tell your kid you can’t go help people in need?” Jean Gianacaci said. “They landed in Haiti and went right to work.”

Christine’s father said he and his wife talked to Christine around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2010. Less than 15 minutes later, the earthquake hit.

The were on a plane the next day, but their daughter wasn’t found for 28 days.

While the Gianacacis waited, they started to think of their next steps.

“It went from search and rescue to search and recovery,” Christine’s father said. “Because of that, you start thinking about what you want to do.”

“It was almost kind of weird, to be honest, how it happened,” Christine’s mother said. “There was really never any question that we were going to do it. It just was like ... something was driving us, something was telling us what to do.”

So in lieu of flowers, the family asked for donations for the new foundation, Christine’s Hope for Kids, Jean Gianacaci said.

“And so it began,” she said.

The Gianacacis had no idea how to run a foundation, but they felt strongly about what the foundation’s mission would be.

The money the foundation raises goes to underprivileged children and children with disabilities. The money stays in the United States, she said.

“It’s not about big scholarships and big things, sometimes it’s just a pair of baseball shoes so kids can play ball,” Jean Gianacaci said. “Let’s do little things that make a difference and we’re finding that that’s exactly right.”

A lot of the fundraising helps children right here in Mercer County, Christine’s father said.

Over the course of the three years the foundation has been in existence, Christine’s Hope for Kids has made donations of more than $250,000, helping thousands of children by sending them to summer camp and donating toys, books or supplies to children in need.

But more importantly, the foundation has seen a rise in children volunteers.

“The main thing of our foundation is getting kids to help other kids,” Jean Gianacaci said. “We feel strongly about teaching kids to help other kids.”

It was a team of children that put together 300 holiday stockings and 300 backpacks that were donated to children in the Union Beach area devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

As the foundation continues to grow, the children aren’t the only ones who are being helped.

The Gianacacis said that the foundation has helped them turn a “tragedy into triumph.”

“Continuing her legacy has helped tremendously,” Christine’s mother said. “We’re just the delivery people of what she wants us to do.”

“Our obligations as parents didn’t stop the day that she’s no longer here with us physically,” Christine’s father added. “She’s here with us spiritually, she’s driving the train.”

For more information about Christine’s Hope for Kids Foundation, visit www.christineshope.org.